The new and distinct short-day strawberry plant variety of the present invention was the product of a controlled breeding program that was carried out at Nova Siri (MT) Italy located at 40° 08′ 40″ N-16° 39′ 40″ E and 10 meters above sea level. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the ‘Marisol’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,637, filed Jul. 3, 2013, and European Application No. 2012/1377)), a short-day strawberry variety having attractive, semi-early ripening, bright red, primarily conical fruit having a firm flesh, substantially uniform medium red in color, and the ability to produce large fruits with high content of sugar, and presenting good tolerance to infection in plants by Pytophthora Cactorum; and the male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the unreleased ‘A050389’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States), a short-day strawberry variety having very early-season ripening, good yield, and good tolerance to soils with a sodium content at what is generally considered the agronomic limit for sodium. The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows:‘Marisol’×‘A050389’.
The seeds resulting from the pollination were sown and small plants were obtained which were physically different from each other. Selective study and testing resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new variety.
The new variety initially was designated EE-10-14.
It was found that the new short-day strawberry plant variety of the present invention displays the following combination of characteristics:                (a) exhibits a semi-dense upright globose growth habit,        (b) displays on a semi-early basis white inflorescence at a level generally above the foliage,        (c) commonly displays a calyx that is substantially equal to the diameter of the corolla when open, and        (d) forms in abundance attractive semi-early ripening large medium red generally cordate fruit having firm flesh that is longer than broad in configuration.        
The new variety of the present invention can be readily distinguished from previously known strawberry cultivars including the ‘Camarosa’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,708), the female parent ‘Marisol’, and the male parent ‘A050389’, as indicated in detail hereafter. The comparative ‘Camarosa’ plants described herein were obtained commercially in Italy and Poland. The comparative ‘Marisol’ and ‘A050389’ plants were both owned by Nova Siri Genetics and come from their own collection.
The new cultivar possesses characteristics that commonly are sought by commercial strawberry growers. The substantially uniform attractive firm medium red semi-early ripening fruit is provided in good yields. Accordingly, the new cultivar is considered to be a promising new plant for commercial introduction.
The new cultivar requires an induction period for flowering. This can be achieved by growing in a colder climate away from the equator or at a higher altitude above sea level.
During observation to date, the fruit has shown mild sensitivity to Powdery Mildew attack after a rainy period.
The new cultivar has been asexually reproduced by the use of stolon's at Ochla, Poland located at 51° 848 N-15° 447 E and at Nova Siri (MT) Italy, and by in vitro tissue culture. No rooting problems were encountered. The combination of characteristics exhibited by the new plant has been found to be stable and is reliably transmitted to succeeding generations following such asexual reproduction. Accordingly, the new cultivar reproduces true-to-type manner by such asexual reproduction.
The new plant has been named ‘Charlene’.